Advocate Paul Jorgensen and Attorney Mohammed Jabeer Moideen at the Durban Regional Court on Wednesday. They represented a Durban businessman facing 20 counts including sexual assault and human trafficking.
Image: Zainul Dawood
Four more men are expected to be arrested in connection with a human trafficking case involving a Durban businessman and his co-accused, Selvan Rungasamy Naidoo.
Naidoo,48, and the businessman, 65, were granted bail after a lengthy cross-examination between the defence and Investigating Officer Karl Sanders in the Durban Regional Court on Wednesday.
Magistrate Sharon Marks released the businessman on R50,000 and Naidoo on R100,000 bail.
Naidoo faces charges of human trafficking, kidnapping, cybercrime, crimen injuria, and procurement for prostitution. The businessman faces a total of 20 charges, including sexual assault. He cannot be named until he pleads.
The court allowed their release on stringent bail conditions, including reporting to the Durban North SAPS and Verulam SAPS and handing over their passports. Both accused were warned not to contact the witnesses or other suspects involved in the matter.
The case is scheduled to be heard on October 22, 2026.
The case relates to a 2022 incident involving three young women from Eldorado Park, Johannesburg, who were allegedly lured to Durban with a fake job opportunity involving the sale of SIM cards before being forced into sexual exploitation at a Durban North property.
Naidoo faces charges including human trafficking, kidnapping, cybercrime, crimen injuria and procurement for prostitution. The businessman faces 20 charges, including sexual assault. He cannot be named until he pleads.
Sanders from the KwaZulu-Natal Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI/Hawks), told the court he was supposed to be in Gauteng to arrest one of the suspects on Wednesday but had to be in court.
Sanders said another accused is believed to be working in Dubai while two others were still being traced. He said the arrests were imminent and the matter will be ready for trial.
Sanders remained resolute that the men should not be given bail because they will interfere with witnesses and destroy evidence. Sanders also claimed that Naidoo’s family was also intimidated. Sanders said Naidoo made the oral confession while he was being fingerprinted at the police station, but he could not substantiate it in court because Naidoo declined to make an affidavit.
The businessman’s defence team consisted of Paul Jorgensen, instructed by Attorney Mohammed Jabeer Moideen. Jorgensen asked Sanders to prove that the men would endanger the lives of witnesses and destroy evidence if they were released on bail. Sanders said a statement was taken in 2022 by the investigating officer where the victims claimed they were intimidated.
Jorgensen said the incident happened in 2022, and this gave his client ample time to destroy any evidence in that period and/or interfere with witnesses if he wanted to. Naidoo was represented by Niven Rai, instructed by Ray Maharaj, who made similar arguments.
Sanders added that the businessman's phone was wiped clean at the Durban North Police station after he was questioned in 2022.
“When his phone was seized. Nothing of an incriminating nature was found. He has contacts with senior policemen. I cannot disclose it in public. We can go to chambers if you would like to discuss it further,” Sanders said.
Sanders said if the accused was released, the justice system would be seen in a negative light while the defence attorneys would be held in high regard for getting their client out.
Jorgensen told the court that his client had a farm in Mooi River and while he was at a shooting range he decided to apply for a firearm competency license at the Erasmus SAPS. Sanders disputed this version and remained resolute in court that this was done illegally. Jorgensen said the businessman had lived at the same address for 20 years in Durban North.
The businessman was arrested on August 11. Naidoo handed himself over at the Durban North Police Station the next day.
The offer was made via WhatsApp in the name of a company called ICLICK. The charge sheet states that three of the 20 counts relate to those messages alone.
"Communicating false employment information for 'ICLICK' to the complainants via electronic communications, including WhatsApp.
"Representing the legitimacy of the employment opportunity for ICLICK."
The messages worked, the state said.
"Which representations were false and did induce/cause the complainants to act upon such information, to their prejudice, in that they travelled to Durban to meet the employer.
"And were subsequently informed by the accused that the work was in fact of a sexual nature.”
